Vision Disability Services

Monroe County Schools employs a vision specialist who serves students in our system from ages 3 to 21.  To qualify for vision services, the student must be certified as visually impaired or blind and show an educational need. Certification begins with a current eye report (within the past year) from the student’s eye care professional. If the eye report warrants further evaluation, the parent will be contacted to proceed.

Our vision specialist works collaboratively with the administration, general education teachers, and the special education teachers at each school to provide the support that is needed based on individual student needs. Vision services do not include services for students with perceptual difficulties.

Orientation and mobility training (O & M) helps blind or visually impaired students know where they are in space and where they want to go (orientation). It also helps them to be able to carry out a plan to get their (mobility). Orientation and mobility skills should begin to be developed in infancy starting with basic body awareness and movement and continuing on into adulthood as the individual learns skills that allow him/her to navigate his/her world. 

Students are referred by their teachers, staff, or parents for a screening to determine if a full evaluation of the student’s orientation and mobility skills is appropriate. Services are provided on an as-needed basis.